How to Make Ratatouille
This classic French ratatouille layers thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, red onion and bell pepper over a garlicky tomato sauce, then bakes it slowly until every vegetable turns silky and sweet. It's naturally vegan, and after about 15 minutes of prep the oven does the rest of the work.
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini sliced
- 2 eggplant sliced
- 1 red onion sliced
- 2 red bell pepper sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp olive oil for brushing
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil for the sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 tomatoes peeled and crushed
- 2 sprigs thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, the minced garlic and the thyme sprigs, and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the peeled and crushed tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange the sliced vegetables over the sauce in a spiral pattern, working around the skillet until the entire pan is covered.
- Brush the vegetables with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and oregano.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and tender.
- Serve with fresh basil leaves scattered on top.
Notes
A mandoline gives the most even slices, which is what makes the spiral bake evenly - uneven slices cook at different rates. Serve warm or at room temperature, with crusty bread or over polenta. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and the flavour deepens overnight.